Get Started Shooting Music Videos - EP003 w/ Harry Scott

So you want to shoot and direct music videos. Our guest Harry Scott has directed videos for artists large and small, signed and independent. even artists like Cosmos Midnight.

Harry and I discuss the workflow of a music video production. How to get your foot in the door of the industry of filmmaking and a few golden words of wisdom.

Transcript

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It's really funny chatting to directors who don't edit or don't know how to edit. It's like, So how do you put a storyboard together? In the world of filmmaking, there's no genre more creative or as competitive as that of music videos. So if you're somebody who wants to get involved in music videos, whether that be shooting or directing, how do you start? How do you get your foot in the door? Is it film school or just a ton of passion? My guest today is Harry Scott. Harry has film videos for artists large and small, signed and independent. On the show, we discuss how his workflow and how he runs a production from start to finish for his artists, as well as how he got his foot in the door and a couple of golden nuggets of wisdom. So if you are somebody who wants to be involved in the world of music videos, this is the video for you. Thanks so much for joining me. And I'm curious because we've worked together on a few things. Firstly, back at Read Scope, that's where I met you and brought on to help us with the project there. And then later on it pretty much pushed me out of my COVID slumber of not having any work at all into working at two ponds where we worked together for a fair bit of time. And so we've been on a few projects together now, but I know that you've done a lot of film work and done a lot of visual stuff and things all over the place. And I kind of want to know. So I guess in a word, like, what was your like elevator pitch on yourself? Who are you? High school. I raise questions. I know. Who am I? I guess, like I'm a video director and an editor, but like, every time I. Every time I say that title, I have, like, mad imposter syndrome. Which you are that person that you are. Yeah. It'll probably be the theme of this interview, but yeah, more or less. It's like, yeah, I guess video director and editor. I do a bit of shooting as well. I do a bit of producing. But yeah, for the most part that's kind of where I, where I, who I want to be and where I want to be going. I guess this is that that old filmmaker question of like, when did you first pick up a camera? Like, what was like how did you get to doing editing? Because I know that's probably where you started, right? Yes. And then how did that lead you to that? Was just I think there's obviously natural progression between like looking at footage to then shooting footage, but like how did you even get started in the world of like film? Oh, yeah. It's actually it's a great I think it's a great story. But, you know, as a director, I've got to have a good story. Right? So it was funny because I was really into photography growing up. Like, I think I just got a camera and I started having like a first photography class and I was like, Yeah, this is fun. Like, I really like doing this. I was kind of a very visual kid in that sense. So then I was doing a bunch of writing direction, like all that kind of skill set and then got into photography. And then I kind of turned to my older brother who is doing like media arts and stuff at uni. And I sent to him and I was like, Whoa, you know, I like photography, but I kind of also like the storytelling of like writing and my brother was like, Well, why don't you just, like, make videos? Like, it's both. It's the it's like photography and storytelling and it's, you know, you can talk out of your ass like you do when you write and you can make good, good, good photos. And it kind of clicked and I was like, oh, yeah, like, fuck, yeah. Like, is it isn't filmmaking like the art of storytelling and like in a visual medium, which is kind of it was like that like formative years of like writing all these years and then like photography as well. And then it kind of clashed and I was like, it was. Like cameras on the highway kind of thing. Yeah, it was like that eureka moment, right? I realized like, Oh, well, I've been doing a bit of bit of writing, a bit of photography. Why not just combine and then make films? And then I kind of started that. So like that's when I knew I wanted to make films and like videos and that kind of stuff. But then what I wanted to do in filmmaking, that was a rollercoaster because I originally wanted to be like the cinematographer. You know? I like making a film good and making a video of a good. I don't know if that's kind of where my heart is. And then I was like, okay, maybe I can do like producing. And then I was like, I. Would just out there tasting every. Yeah, yeah. It was like producing maybe. And then I that not only like student that creative aspect and then I was like screenwriting and I was like, okay, I like screenwriting because I like that whole writing thing. And then I kind of got to a point where I was like, Okay, well, I've been editing a lot, so I kind of I'm good at editing. Well, if I want to edit more, why don't I just, like, shoot and direct my own stuff and then I can edit that and then I can sell that and be like, Hey, guys, I'm an editor. Can you hire me? So then I started like producing and directing my own, like, music videos for like friend. Or one man band kind of thing. Yeah. And I started doing it just to edit really. And then it started becoming a thing where I was like, Okay, well, now I'm actually kind of like directing as a thing, and I'm editing, which is like, yes, editing is kind of like my bread and butter and like where I feel most comfortable. But then it's like I still have that, that directing knack that just kind of comes from that, like storytelling and that like I can. Imagine that would also inform a lot of the editing being able to sort of put yourself in the shoes of like if it's something you're directing, definitely, but especially if you're working on something that somebody else has directed and it comes down the line to you as the editor. Yeah, it's a great skill to have like it. Yeah, I think. I think directing and editing should really come hand in hand, at least like an editing skill, etc., editing background or like kind of an understanding of editing where like much like how cinematography and color is like hand in hand is kind of how I see it. Like it's really funny chatting to directors who don't edit or don't know how to edit. It's like, So how do you put a storyboard together? I don't know. But yeah, that's kind of that's the how I got into it. So I hope that's a dance for an elevator pitch. We went up quite a few stories. Yeah, 100%. That's great. What was the way that you got yourself in the industry? Was this by putting together like a portfolio? Did you have a website or real kind of thing? How did you get yourself in the door and what was the first offer you? Um, what was it? Well, promo stuff and shooting events and festivals and music videos and all that. Jazz. So I had like a pretty and like doing to a video. So I had like a pretty good understanding of like editing and shooting and kind of like directing a bit. And I had a good friend who was kind of like not a mentor, but every time he caught up, he'd give me like really good, like, little nuggets of wisdom. And he was he was very talented. He's very far ahead in the in the creative world. Um, and then, well, believe it or not, going to Singapore actually kind of helped legitimize a lot of my work. I got some really? Yeah. I got a bit of commercial work over there, kind of put myself down more as a director over there, which is good. And then yeah, I think I just, I came back to Sydney like end of 2020, so like just kind of when COVID had started dying down just before I'd picked up again. Yeah. And I had just put it out, I just checked it out on my website. I was, but I think in saying all that, like I was freelancing as well before I went to Singapore. So yeah, through freelancing I got a lot of connections through editing, like freelance editing and I got a lot of connections there. I was chatting to a lot of companies and like looking at how different agencies and production companies worked. So when I did kind of go in that environment in Singapore and the company I was previously working out with you, I kind of knew how a lot of those a lot of those systems worked. Yeah. So it was. Off into the world. Yeah, I'd kind of, I'd seen it from the periphery and then kind of jumped into it when I went full time. And we were working together, you were like going home after work and editing or even coming up with like treatments and all kinds of stuff. It's like those after hours kinds of things. But what was sort of the way that you went from being just an editor to like being the guy that like a band like Cosmos, which is quite an up The Australian band. How did you become that guy? I'm very, very grateful that I'm that I've been working with them lately. They're very they're very cheap guys to work with and like actually very collaborative and they're open to my ideas and I'm that, um, but it came from, uh, I think sort of 20, 21. Yes, of 2021. I just had a couple of mates who had some tracks, like just a couple of like songs they made in their bedroom. And I had a few ideas that I wanted to shoot and I just said to them, I was like, Hey, like I want to do a music video for you guys. The song that like hasn't even come out of me and they'll put it out. But I had, like, all these ideas I want to play with like some idea VFX guy who we were working on some VFX effects and I was like, okay, cool, I want to pitch this music video. Can you do this VFX for it? And I started this DP and we were like, Yeah, let's work on a project together. And it was like a budget. Director bringing all the pieces together. Yeah. And it was a budget of like $600. We had like a day to shoot it and it was like we shot it in botany view Botany Bay on that, like, you know, that stretch at Botany Bay that like everyone shoots that for like, oh yeah, kossoff Yeah. I was like, Whoa, everyone shoots there. I want to shoot something that, like, just kind of get out of my system. Yep. And we just got like, a comment for a day. DP Have, like, access to this really nice camera. And then we had like a semblance of an idea. It was just like a mishmash of the two ideas that I had put together. It was like the whole idea was like three really cool performances. There's cool VFX and like a really cool like vintage BMW. And so we got all that together for like $600 and then put the edit together with like this really cool data mining effects. And then yeah, we were just like, I just play video games with the Cosmo's Midnight Guys and like the guys who were right who I did the video for, we were kind of sharing it in like discord and stuff. And then they saw and Oh, this is cool. And then they kind of had it coming up and they just like, like we like what you did for this. Can you do that on like a bigger scale. That also shows off like the importance of like putting your work out there and making sure that it's like and like actually promoting your work not in like a, like a subscribe guys kind of way, but in like a, hey, I made this. Yeah, maybe you'd like it and like putting it in front of people because again, that's sort of like where you get the web to catch the fliers. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I just had like a couple of ideas that I put together. And I always like to say to a lot of like people when whenever my chatting to people who are kind of just starting out or like one like just trying to not figure it out, but like just being like, okay, cool. Like I've got this thing coming up, how do I approach it? Or whatever? I always like to say that I'm just like with any kind of creative endeavor, it's just like, just get it out of it, get things out of your system. Like if you have an idea just through the idea, even if it's shit, it's just out of your system and you know why it works and what doesn't. And that's a perfect example of it because I had like three ideas. I was trying them together with like some VFX and like a half baked song. And I literally got out of my system and now became like gave me one of Yeah, put me in a really good position with Yeah, because it was midnight. So yeah, it was one of those things where yeah, just, I had this just get it out of your system. It's kind of the advice I can give you. I guess it's like one of those things is like even if it doesn't, it's not release ready. It's also like a creative exercise. Mm hmm. I was talking to, like, some of the musicians, and, like, it's the same thing, making beats or just making any kind of project as much as it could be, writing a paragraph a day. It's that kind of like creative exercise, a muscle that you sort of start working, and then that leads you to having like either a bank of things you can show or go back to or have is like version one's or even like you said, being able to like Yeah. And have it lead to the bigger thing. Yeah. And proof of concept as well. You know, like I can now look at that project and be like if, if I want to pitch to another music video and I want to pitch to set in the fact I can go, Hey, look at this other one I did. Like, I look at this one, I nailed it. I mean, I'd like to think I nailed it and I can do it for your clip. You know. So again. Kind of expand your portfolio in terms of like the breadth of what you can offer. What is your sort of process from receiving the initial ask or the brief? How do you then work through somebody's request? Let's just say it's a music video for the sake of this, but it's not says, Hey, this is the track, this is what the song's about, and then you've got to go with it from there. Here's your budget. What's sort of your process and how do you work? Yeah, music. It's funny because music videos and I'm I'm sure you probably aware like commercial and content stuff is very different. Yeah. Usually you get the track. First thing is just ask the artist if there's any kind of top line ideas or any ideas that they're like, okay, cool. Like associated with the track. And if they did of it, like, okay, cool, we want this idea, this idea, maybe this thing, this, that, yeah, I just write it down. Go kind of give you the elements and then you got to, like, pull them together. Well, if, if they have an idea, then they'll give it to me. Otherwise, I've had times when they're like, we have no idea is a track do whatever. Yes. After I've gotten the track and they're kind of initial thoughts or thought starters, I'll take it away, listen to it for probably a day or two, just rinse and repeat until like sometimes it clicks straight away. I listen to it, I'm like, Cool. I know exactly what I do, but sometimes it takes a while for it to kind of come together. I think that's like. Giving yourself the time to really sit with what you have to do and like, really start to feel, feel it out. Yeah. And, and sometimes it'll, it'll kind of just click. But yeah, I do need that time to sit on it. And if I, if I can't, if I, if it doesn't click, I'll usually just sit on it and maybe even just start kind of like jotting down some initial ideas. I'm like a brain dump and then I'll come back to the artist and usually do like a longer brainstorm so that I are usually be like a one and a half to 3 hours depending on time, and we'll come up with and we kind of just start writing everything down and just like it like again, it could be anything. It can be anything from clothes to storyline to shots. Like I've had music videos come together with one shot in mind and I've built the whole clip like we've had the concept. And then I have like one shot in mind and I'm like, Cool. That is like the shot that I want to see. And then I build everything around that shot. What would you say were the words of wisdom that you've received that you would want to pass on to something that someone's ever said to you, that you're like, Oh my God, that's stuck with me, that you would then pass on? Uh, yeah, that would be precious. Oh, and again. Take it out of that. That's great. And I think bumper sticker whether that one. Yeah. I think again in the same, the same vein same idea is like kill your darlings or kill your babies. But I remember the idea comes from when I was. I've never heard that one, by the. Way. I really. Never heard Kill Your Darlings and. Kill Your Baby. So when you're editing and you have like a shot that you, like, spent so long on and you're like, I want to, like, use that. And this is great scene. It's great to hold onto it for too long. Yeah, but if it doesn't fit in the story, then just go, darling. Yeah, exactly. But the idea. That you explain that because I was gonna be very awkward to just leave. No, but. But the idea of the idea of that would be precious was when I was first couple of years, about four years back, I was shooting my first role of Super eight with a friend who's kind of going through the ropes to me. And he was like, I was like, Oh, like we were shooting in pretty low light. It was fire. And I was like, Is it going to like. And the camera was like, it's hard to focus as opposed to is the focus going to be weird? It's like that exposure, you're going to be fucked. All this the other and he was like, did w precious just like it's super tight like just shoot it like, you know, it's like it's your first yeah, it's your first time. First time shooting it. Like, just get a little system where he said that to me is like w precious, like don't overthink it. Um, and that kind of stuck with me as a, yeah, you know, stuff, but it's not wrong. It's like sometimes you be so careful and so precious about what you're working on or what you're looking at, how you how your idea is. But it's like, just don't. Yeah, don't be so precious with it. Like, just kind of let it happen. Hey, and thanks for watching this episode of Crazy Creative Creatives. If you enjoyed that, I would love to know in the comments below what artist dead or alive, you would love to shoot a video for? For me personally, I'd love to go back and shoot something for David Bowie, but let me know in the comments below what artist you'd love to film a video for. But this has been great creative creatives and I will see you next Tuesday.